Electromyographic activity in the immobilized shoulder girdle musculature during contralateral upper limb movements.

The purpose of this study was to quantify electromyographic (EMG) activity in the immobilized shoulder girdle musculature at rest and during a battery of contralateral upper limb activities. Six asymptomatic men, aged 22 to 33 years, volunteered to participate. Fine-wire (supraspinatus, infraspinatus) and surface (deltoids, trapezii, biceps, serratus anterior) electrodes recorded the mean peak normalized (percent maximal voluntary contraction [%MVC]) EMG activity from each immobilized muscle at rest and during slow, fast, and incrementally resisted contralateral upper limb motions (5, 15, and 25 lb).

Rhomboid muscle electromyography activity during 3 different manual muscle tests.

Objective: To determine which of 3 previously published rhomboid manual muscle tests (MMTs) elicits the maximal rhomboid electromyographic activity in an asymptomatic population.

Design: Criterion standard.

Setting: Motion analysis laboratory at tertiary care medical center.

Acute hemodynamic effects of abdominal exercise with and without breath holding.

Objectives: To compare the magnitudes of change in heart rate, systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), mean blood pressure, and rate-pressure product (RPP) during 3 abdominal exercises: straight partial sit-up (SPSU), oblique partial sit-up (OPSU), and the AbSculptor(R) sit-up; and to examine the effect of breath holding on these parameters.

Design: Prospective, repeated measures.

Setting: Autonomic research laboratory in a major medical center.